The player of the game for DeLand was Chauncey Kennedy, who not only scored 10 points but shut down NSB leading scorer Desmond Mitchell.

Mitchell was averaging 25.5 points per game in the tournament but Kennedy limited him to 1-of-8 shooting and five points.

“(Kennedy) was definitely the MVP tonight. He did a great and we had a good game plan and it was just whether or not we were going to execute it or not and we did,'' DeLand coach John Zeoli said. “Desmond Mitchell is one of the best players in all of Central Florida at the point position. He's just really tough and he didn't have a good night tonight.''

DeLand limited NSB to just 15-of-50 shooting from the floor and the Barracudas didn't help their cause by making just 15-of-26 free throws.

In a physical game that went down to the wire, New Smyrna Beach was whistled for two technical fouls – for four delay-of-game calls – in the final three minutes of regulation. Both calls resulted in two points and two possessions for the Bulldogs.

“I thought we missed a lot of easy shots and we gave them too many,'' NSB coach Steve Gawriluk. “I also thought we settled for too many threes early. We've just got to get better.

New Smyrna Beach got into early foul trouble, putting DeLand in the bonus in the opening quarter and helping the Bulldogs run out to a 14-6 lead.

The Barracudas opened the second quarter with a 14-8 run and drew to within 22-20, but the Bulldogs responded with a 7-0 run of their own and went to the intermission with a 31-24 margin.

Both teams started out shooting cold in the opening quarter but warmed up from then on, with the Bulldogs hitting a scorching 6-of-8 field goals in the second quarter.

DeLand found foul trouble to start the third quarter, allowing the visitors to pull within 42-36 before the Bulldogs answered with six straight.